Various types of glass panel systems may be incorporated in buildings, for example, in conjunction with a balcony or terrace of a building. In many cases, a glass pan& is made of tempered glass and may comprise several laminated glass layers. A glass panel system typically comprises several glass panels which are preferably placed one after another and which in the closed position constitute a wall.
A glass panel system typically comprises an upper guide track and a lower guide track for guiding the travelling of the glass panel, one or more hinge dements and/or a guide element being placed within or on top of the guide tracks and fixed to the glass panel. The travelling of the glass panel is controlled by the hinge element and/or guide element, or the glass panel is suspended on the upper guide track by means of them, or the glass panel rests through them on the lower guide track which supports the panel. Typically, the glass panel may be movable along the upper and lower guide tracks by means of the said hinge element or guide element. Moving typically takes place manually by pushing.
The upper and lower guide tracks are normally installed in the horizontal position and fixed, for example, to structures of a building. The lower guide track may be positioned on floor level or higher. The glass panel is usually openable sideways and closable.
Two or more glass panels which are moved to a position in which they can be opened, may be placed next to each other in a bundle in the open position, whereby an open space is formed in the glass panel system, for example for ventilation or passage.
Some glass panel systems of prior art are disclosed in documents WO 2014/068178 A1, WO 2017/08813864 A1 and EP 3168408 A1.
Wind, blasts, storms, and air flows may often affect and load a glass panel, which is why sufficient strength is required of the glass panel, to prevent breaking of the glass panel. Improving the strength of the glass panel often leads to increasing the thickness of the glass panel, which may be problematic in view of manual handling of the glass panel, because the weight of the glass panel is increased as well.